Beautiful Sinner
by DestroyShelbeyy
Summary: Selene and Raven are sisters and best friends. After impressing the TAPS team on an investigation in Michigan, Selene and Raven are invited to join the team. Thrilled, they jump right into the life of being professional ghost hunters, but find themselves way in over their heads with the structure and drama of being on the TAPS team.
1. Chapter 1: Raven's POV

I shift the car into park and turn to my sister. "You ready for this, Selene? Because I'm definitely not."

Selene flips the visor down to check her makeup. "You need to chill out, Raven. It's not that big of a deal." She applies another coat of her favorite MAC lipstick.

My jaw drops. "How are you so calm about this? We're about to meet the TAPS team, go on an investigation with them, _and _be on TV!"

My sister whips the visor back up into its closed position and turns to face me. "I took an Ativan this morning; I'm all good." She smiles contently. "Why didn't you take one? You knew you would be freaking out. Look at you, you're shaking!"

"Because I didn't feel like being drugged up the first time I met them!" I let out a shaky sigh. "C'mon, we need to get in there for the briefing."

Selene and I exit our vehicle, grab our ghost hunting gear out of the trunk, and make our way to the hotel where the TAPS team is staying. My ears are being crushed from the pressure and each step is rickety.

We finally reach the conference room. I try my best to slow my breathing. We drop our belongings so we are not presented to the camera with duffle bags weighing us down. The producer counts down from five and then we open the door, entering the room together.

"Guys," Jason begins. "We are going to have two guest investigators on this trip. They are both from around here and have their own ghost hunting team. Meet the sisters, Selene and Raven!"

Selene and I wave awkwardly. I scan the group from left to right: Donna, Brian, Tango, Steve are sitting in chairs with Jason and Grant standing in front of them. I notice two empty seats next Steve.

"Girls, why don't you take a seat next to Steve," Grant offers.

Selene leads the way, forcing me to sit next to Steve since she knows that he is my favorite. I am _so_ going to get her later! I cross my right leg over my left to keep my leg from bouncing and I hope that Steve does not notice my quivering body.

I try my best to focus on what Jason and Grant are saying—we are going to a supposedly haunted church in the older part of Grand Rapids, Michigan—my hometown. But part of me feels like I am emitting an anxious vibe.

Jason and Grant finish their meeting and just as I am about to bolt from my seat, Steve catches me. "Hey, I'm Steve," he says in a friendly tone, holding out his hand.

"Raven," I greet back, taking his hand. I catch his eye and a chill runs down my spine—but in a good way… I guess?

"So you guys are sisters?" Tango butts in.

"Yeah, we are," Selene answers, leaning forward.

"Who's older?"

"I am," Selene says proudly.

"Oh please, by less than two years." I roll my eyes.

"I like your tattoo." Steve points to my left forearm.

"Thanks, I like yours too." I blush slightly.

"Butterflies… any meaning behind that?" He asks.

"Eh, you'll have to learn about that at a later date…."

"Alright, guys, we're ready to roll out!" Grant announces.

"Like the Autobots?" I ask jokingly. Everyone just stares at me, confused. "You know the Transformers? Optimus Prime says roll out…?" My voice sinks to a low mumble. "Never mind."

We arrive to the old church; it only took a few minutes to get there. The ride over was sufficiently awkward. Selene and I rode with Tango and Steve. It was basically silent the entire time.

The four of us climb out of the car to meet the rest of the team in front of the church. "Before Grant and I meet with the owners for the tour, I'm going to split you up in groups of two. Let's see… Donna and Brian, Selene and Steve and then Raven and Tango. Get acquainted and then we'll be back to help set up."

"Looks like we're working together tonight," Tango says to me with a grin.

"Yup," I smile humorously.

Steve opens the trunk so that Selene and I can sit down in the back. We both pull out our phones so we can text our parents and friends to let them know that we are fine. Just then, I spot Brian coming over.

"Oh God…" I murmur.

"What?" Selene asks, head whipping toward me. I nod my head toward Brian. "Oh… oh God!"

"Hello, ladies. My name is Brian and I'm part of the tech crew on the investigations."

"Nice to meet you, Brian. I'm Raven and this is my older sister, Selene."

"Wow, I would have never guessed that you two were sisters! You look nothing alike!" Brian exclaims. He eyes my bright red curls and then Selene's jet black locks.

It is true. Selene and I look _nothing_ alike. I have round features, while Selene has sharp. I am almost six inches taller her than her 4'11" stature and we have two very different demeanors. Most people just think we are friends.

Donna comes over. "So, I guess Jay and Grant are looking for a few more investigators to join our team…"

"Oh really?" I ask, genuinely surprised. Then it hits me: what if they ask Selene and me? That would be a dream come true! But I shouldn't get my hopes up… we're still young and somewhat inexperienced compared to the rest of the team.

"All right, we're all set. Let's get to this," Grant says happily, coming over to the group.

Selene and I stand in unison. She goes for her favorite piece of equipment: the thermal cam. I stick with an EVP recorder and a handheld camcorder. I take one last look at Selene, silently wishing her luck and she returns the kindness.

Tango, a few crew members, and I enter the church and go straight to the sanctuary. We set up a few cameras at different angles throughout the room. The lights go out and we take our places in a pew in the front row.

"So, apparently, voices are heard in this area," Tango explains. "And the lights tend to flicker at the same moment during every sermon."

"Creepy," I state bluntly. I move the camcorder across the room, scanning for any possible orbs or apparitions. Wouldn't that be something? Finding an apparition on my first hunt with TAPS!

"So, uh, your sister…" Tango murmurs.

"…Yes?" I ask, raising a brow.

He clears his throat. "What's her story…? I mean, is she single?"

I bite my lip to keep my jaw from dropping. We are here like five minutes and Dave already wants to ask out Selene? Well, isn't this interesting. "Yes, she's single," I answer skeptically. "But she's not looking for a relationship right now."

"Oh… oh, well that's cool." There is disappointment in Tango's voice and my heart sinks the tiniest bit.

"But, you never know," I assure him. "Now, let's start an EVP session…" I turn the recorder on and set it down on the pew in between Tango and me. "EVP session: Tango and Raven in the sanctuary," I say clearly.

We go through the basic questions: is there anyone here with us, what is your name, are you male or female, do you know that you are dead, how did you die, et cetera.

Two hours in, it is our turn to man the command center. We pass Steve and Selene on our way to the van and I flash a smile to both of them. Selene just rolls her eyes and Steve smiles back at me. I climb into the van first and Tango follows me. The cameras are no longer glued to us; leaving the two of us to find something more interesting to film.

"So what do you do for a living… I mean, besides this," Tango asks.

"I actually work at a bakery. I specialize in cupcakes." I grin like a total dork.

"Oh, sweet! And what about Selene?"

"She, um, works at a convenience store."

"Cool—wait, what was that?" He points to the monitor next to me. The battery of the camera is draining. Tango immediately grabs his walkie-talkie. "Tango to Steve, Tango to Steve," he says into it, trying to stay calm.

"_Reading you, Tango, this is Steve."_

"The batteries are going in the cameras in the attic; might want to check that out."

"_Copy."_

Tango and I talk more as we eye the monitors to see if anything else is happening throughout the church. He seems like a genuinely cool guy and I enjoy being partnered up with him. I feel bad that he likes Selene and she's so high strong on not having a relationship.

_"__Okay, that's it. Let's wrap it up."_ Jay says over the walkie-talkie.

Tango helps me out of the back of the van and we go to help take down and put away all the cameras and the sound equipment. I pass Steve multiple times and I smile happily at him and he really just turns the corners of his mouth upwards. I'll take it.

"Okay, everyone, great job tonight. Let's go back to the hotel and get some sleep," Jay says, clapping his hands together. "I want Selene, Raven, Steve and Tango on analysis tomorrow. Now head out!"

I wave goodbye to everyone and slump my way to our car. I slide into the passenger's seat, put my seatbelt on and then it is light's out for me!


	2. Chapter 2: Selene's POV

I walk into Raven's bathroom, feeling exhausted. I watch her put the final coat of mascara on her lashes. "Thanks for letting me crash at your place last night," I say through a tired yawn.

"No problem; any time!" Raven chirps. "So how was your night last night?"

I think about it for a moment, going through the whole investigation in my mind. "Good, Steve is pretty nice; quiet but nice. Yours?"

"Cool, really cool; Tango is a lot of fun to hang out with! And… well… never mind!"

"No, what?" I question, my interest piqued.

Raven looks uncomfortable as her eyes shoot to the ground. "Well, uh, Tango, well…"

"Yes…?" I was not about to play games with her. It's too early for that.

Raven sighs and meets my eye. "Tango asked about you last night… he asked if you were single." My mouth folds into a tight line. "…But I told him you weren't looking for a relationship right now and he accepted it," she quickly recovers.

I ponder the idea and I find it to be surprisingly pleasant. It is quiet flattering to have a member of TAPS to find me attractive. I shrug. "All right, well we've got to leave so we can meet the guys at their hotel for the analysis." I walk out of the bathroom, Raven trailing behind me.

Raven grabs her messenger bag—she never goes anywhere without it. I grab one of my many purses and we hit the road to the hotel. We fight over what music to play, but we eventually both settle on the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

"Raven! Selene!" Tango greets when we enter the room, cameras following us in.

"Hey, Tango!" Raven responds.

My greeting is delayed. I catch Tango's eye and then I quickly look away. "Hey, Tango; Hey, Steve," I mumble, sitting down in the chair closest to me.

"All right, we're going to have Tango and Selene on video, I'll be on thermal cam and Raven will be on EVP," Steve commands in his soft voice.

Tango sits next to me and Steve next to him, leaving Raven on the way other side of the table. Great. I watch as Raven puts in her ear buds and the two men settle down for their job. I try to focus on the screen in front of me but I find myself feeling a tad bit awkward next to Tango, so, in my very clandestine ways, I text Raven:

_Why did you have to tell me that Tango likes me?_

_You're the one who pressed me for information! And really? 'Likes'? What, are we in middle school? ._

_Shut up… do you think he'll ask me out?_

_I'm not sure. I was pretty clear you weren't looking for a relationship._

_Did you tell him why? I mean, did you tell him about Alex?_

_No, why would I?_

_Okay, good._

"I've got something!" Raven exclaims. She unplugs her headphones and highlights the portion of the sound bite. "This was when Tango and I were in the sanctuary. Listen carefully and you'll be able to hear it."

It starts with Raven asking a question: 'Do you know that you are dead?'

There is silence but then after a few seconds: 'Yes.'

It is a sinister growl of a male spirit that sends chills down my spine.

"Play it again," Steve requests. Raven does so. "Shit, that's messed up. Nice work, Raven!" He holds his hand up for a high five and Raven proceeds with the motion.

"Thanks, Steve," she mumbles, blushing the tiniest bit.

No way! Raven totally has a thing for Steve! I always knew she liked him when we would watch the show, but I had no idea that she was _attracted _to him! Hm, should I tease her about this or let it just play out? I think I will go with the latter. I then get back to my job, ceasing the texting between my sister and me.

My eyes lids are hanging heavy and they are just about to close for good, I spot something in the corner of the screen. I immediately perk up. I rewind it and play it, frame by frame, and sure enough: a dark, cloaked figure is moving past the camera.

"Guys," I practically shout, my eyes not leaving the screen. "Look at this…" I play it for them.

"Wow! You two are like are good luck charms or somethin'!" Tango exclaims. "We haven't found solid evidence like this in a while!"

"Well, I'm all done with the thermals. How about you guys?" Steve asks.

"I'm done," Raven announces.

"So am I," Tango nods.

"Me too," I say, hiding a smile.

"Cool, then we'll go present the evidence to Jay and Grant," Steve says. "You two can chill here if you want. The cameras will be coming with us." He winks at Raven.

"Okay, I think we'll just hang out here," Raven says, bunching up internally. I would know that look anywhere.

Tango and Steve grab the equipment, marking which parts are pieces of evidence and then they and the crew members leave us.

Once the door is closed, Raven immediately says, "I wonder if they have free wifi…" She pulls out her laptop from her messenger bag and begins to type on it.

I stare at her, concentrating hard on how I am supposed to say what I want to say. She notices. "Why are you staring at me like a creeper?"

"No reason…" My eyes travel up toward the ceiling.

"No, no, there's something. There is definitely something." Raven puts her laptop aside. "What is it, Selene?"

I run my tongue along my front teeth. "You've got the hots for Steve, don't you?" I cock an eyebrow.

"_What?"_ She gasps, trying her best to show shock but I know she is full of shit. "No, I don't. You're crazy." She crosses her arms, getting defensive.

"Raven, I've known you your whole life. I know when you like someone in a romantic way. You get that infatuated, crazy look in your eye!"

The color drains from her face and her jaw is left hanging. "Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God!" She panics. "Do you think Steve notices? Oh, God, I would be _so_ embarrassed!"

I sigh and get up to sit next to my sister. "Don't worry, Raven. I'm sure he doesn't. He's a guy, remember? They don't notice things like girls do. You'll be fine."

"You really think so?" She asks innocently, looking up at me with doe-like eyes.

"Definitely," I assure her.

"Okay…" Raven picks up her laptop and begins typing furiously—probably letting off some steam on Skype with her best friend, Melissa.

I pull out my phone and looks up the latest celebrity updates and check out what new videos I have to watch on YouTube when I get back to my place. Hours go by and Raven and I are finally graced with the presence of Tango, Steve… and Brian?

"Hey, girls!" Brian says with a wave.

"Hey, Brian," I reply.

Steve and Tango sit down in their original seats and Brian pulls up another chair next to me.

"So what did they think of the evidence?" Raven asks excitedly.

"Well…" Steve begins, leaving us in anticipation. "They loved it!"

"Really?" Raven exclaims.

"Yeah, they were both really impressed with the different pieces you both found," Tango says with a kind of half-smile. He looks from Raven to me.

I smile back. "That's fantastic!" I manage to say.

"But uh, Jay and Grant want you there for the team meeting after the Reveal," Brian says.

"Did they say why?" I ask.

"No, they didn't give me any details, sorry."

My heart starts to beat a little faster and I look to Raven—her grin wider than I ever thought possible. It makes me smile brighter. This could be it—it could finally be our big break and we can become professional ghost hunters!

"Hello, everyone," Grant says, coming into the room a couple hours later.

"Hey, guys, everyone gather 'round," Jay commands gently.

The six of us (Donna joined us along with Jay and Grant) pull our chairs up in a semicircle. I found my hands in my lap to keep from fiddling around. I inhale and exhale deeply through my nose.

"We want to say first that this was a fantastic investigation. You guys really brought your A-game," Grant praises. "We would also like to thank Raven and Selene for inviting us to come out here." Everyone looks around at us, nodding.

"So that gets us to this… issue we are about to present," Jason begins. "Since most of our evidence was captured by Raven and Selene and they have proven to be excellent investigators, we would like to invite them to come back to Rhode Island with us."

"Congratulations!" Grant exclaims.

I am left speechless and I can see that Raven is too. My eyes are frozen in place—wide and dry. My heart seems to cease its once rapid beating.

"Selene?" Tango says. "Selene?" He waves a hand in front of my face.

I blink my eyes and my hands unfold on my knees. I look up to the lead investigators. "We'll do it," I say bluntly.

"Selene, do you think we should talk about this first?" Raven asks, her voice full of concern.

"What's there to talk about?" I retort.

"Um, could we have a moment alone?" Raven stands up, grabs my arm and pulls me to the corner of the room. "Are you crazy? We can't just accept it! We have to talk about it first—our parents, our friends, our jobs!"

"Raven, we have always wanted this—ever since we could remember! The paranormal is our passion! And as for jobs, we can easily get new ones in Rhode Island! Honestly, there's nothing keeping me here, and if you don't want to go, I'll go by myself!"

Raven opens her mouth to say something but then takes a second thought. She cross her arms and bites her bottom lip. Tapping her foot, she thinks about it.

"C'mon Raven, you never know what might be around the corner!" I gesture my head toward Steve.

My younger sister thinks for a moment more and then she throws her hands up in the air. "All right!" She says, giggling. She takes my hand and leads us back to the group. "We'll take the jobs! We'll move to Rhode Island to join TAPS!"


	3. Chapter 3: Raven's POV

"Raven, you ready?" Selene calls from the other side of my bathroom door.

"Yeah, almost!" I yell back. My hands shake vigorously as I grab my blush. I brush it on quickly and then I apply a fruit punch pink lipstick. I exhale as I stare at myself in the mirror: silver and black smoky eye, my curls in perfect ringlet-form and a purple fit-and-flare dress with black tights. I turn and open the door. "Ready!"

"It's about time! They've probably started the party without us!" Selene cracks. She flips her newly-curled locks behind her shoulder and fixes her black body-con dress. Selene notices my shaking. "You're _still _shaking? You seriously need to chill out."

"Shut up," I mutter. "Let's just go. Jay hates when people are late." I walk over to my closet to grab a pair of Oxford flats and I notice that Selene has her five-inch patent black strappy heels in her hand. "You're wearing those?" I raise an eyebrow.

Selene looks down at her shoes. "Yeah, what's wrong with them?"

"Well, we are going to a bar, and well… those are five inches."

My older sister thinks for a moment and then it hits her. "What are you insinuating?" She puts her hands on her hips.

"I'm just saying, Selene, you like to get tipsy."

"Listen, Raven, I'm a big girl; I can take care of myself and I choose to wear these shoes. Not let's _go!_" She stomps out of the room and I follow her. The elevator ride is silent.

"Do you want me to drive?" I ask, trying to be cordial.

"No," Selene snaps.

No words are spoken on the way to the bar where the TAPS guys and gals always hang out. It has been a week since Selene and I have moved to Warwick, Rhode Island and our new coworkers are throwing us a welcome party. I have to admit, it's weird not being in Grand Rapids—I have lived there my whole life, but that era has ended. Selene and I have separate apartments since we figured that we would kill each other if we shared one. I have been putting out applications to different bakeries and I have an interview next week, since Selene and I are technically on TAPS probation to see if it works out.

"We're here," Selene says quietly.

I snap out of my trance. "Oh, good!"

We enter the bar and the TAPS team shouts, "Aye!" Everyone is there: Jay, Grant, Andy, Dustin, Donna, Brian, Tango and… Steve.

"Hey, guys!" I say as loud as I can possibly bear when I am in front of them. I step towards our group.

"Girls, I would like you to meet Andy and Dustin," Jay says with a smile, gesturing to a short, scrawny man and a taller man with spikey hair.

"Hi, I'm Raven, and this is my sister, Selene," I introduce.

"Nice to meet you, girls, and welcome to the team," Andy says in a friendly tone.

"Okay, enough introductions—let's party!" Selene says with an excited smile. She walks over to the counter and orders a drink for herself.

"…Sorry about that," I say, rubbing the back of my neck in embarrassment. "She likes to have fun!"

"Nah, that's all right. I get that," Dustin assures me.

"Okay," I breathe. "Well, I'm gonna go get myself a drink and I'll talk to you guys later." I wave and walk over by my sister. "Corona Light with a squirt of lime, please," I say to bartender. He hands me the drink and I look around, trying desperately to find a table, but then I spot Steve and Dave… and then they spot me and begin to wave me over. "Oh, geez," I whisper to myself as I start to walk over.

"Hey, Raven," Tango says with a grin. "You look nice."

"Thanks," I mutter, slightly blushing. "Hey, Steve."

"Hi, Raven," he smiles.

"Well, I'm going to go ask Selene if she wants me to buy her a drink," Tango says boldly.

"Oh, could you watch her for me?" I ask.

"Of course!" He runs a hand through his dark hair and jogs over to where my sister is sitting.

I stand there, awkwardly sipping my beer, too nervous to say anything.

"Would you like to sit down?" Steve asks, gesturing to the chair across from him.

"Oh, sure!" I climb into the high chair, setting my drink on the table. I stare at the bottle filled with the golden liquid, not wanting to make eye contact.

"Are you okay? You're shaking!" Steve points out.

"What?" I exclaim. "What? No, I'm fine! I'm just…"

"… Nervous?"

I exhale loudly. "Yes, I'm sorry."

Steve puts his hand on my arm and my heart about jumps out of my chest. "There's no need to apologize… and there's no reason to be nervous. We're all nice people, and we're very happy to have to you aboard."

My eyes finally creep up to meet his underneath his hat. "Okay… and thanks." I smile weakly.

"You do look really nice, by the way."

I can feel my face grow hot as I think of something to say. "And I'm glad to see that you dressed up for the party." I gesture to his black jeans, Nike sneakers, and plain black shirt with a sweatshirt.

"Well, then…" he says humorously.

I laugh, finally feeling comfortable. I take a few more sips of my beer until it's drained. "I better go get another one…"

"No, I'll get it," Steve says, getting up. "What did you have?"

"Corona Light with a squirt of lime," I reply, suppressing a girlish grin.

Steve returns with our drinks and we get to talking about different things. He tells me about the craziest cases he has been on and what it's like to be on the police force. I explain what exactly I do at the bakery and how I got started into paranormal investigation.

Suddenly, I hear commotion. I look behind me to find Jay and Grant dragging Brian out of the bar. "What's that about?" I ask.

"Brian's a hot head. Jay and Grant are probably going to take him home. He can be such a dick…" Steve explains.

"Really? I had no idea!" I say with fake wonderment.

Steve smiles as he takes a gulp of his beer.

We get back to our conversation and before I know it, the bar is almost completely empty, leaving only Selene, Tango, Dustin, Steve and me.

"Whoa!" I hear along with a crash. I turn around to find Selene on the floor, trying to get herself up. She must be trashed. I get up and Steve follows.

"Selene!" I call over.

"It's all right, Raven, I've got her," Tango says, kneeling down to help my inebriated sister up.

"Are you sure?" I ask, feeling uncomfortable with this whole situation.

"Yeah, I'll just take her home. Where are your keys?"

I think about it for a moment. I trust Tango, right? He seems like a decent guy. There is no reason to fear that something would happen to Selene. I sigh and pull the keys out of my purse. "Here," I say flatly. "I'll text her address to you." I pull out my cellphone.

I shake my head as I watch Tango help Selene out of the bar and get into her car. I feel tears well in my eyes.

"You okay?" Steve asks solemnly.

I put my finger up to my eyeball to remove the water from it. "No," I sniffle.

"C'mon, let me take you home." Steve takes my hand and leads me out of the bar and to his car.

I climb into the passenger seat and I buckle my seatbelt, feeling a headache coming on. I close my eyes and Steve starts the car up. Then I feel a hand on mine.

"Raven, you're going to need to stay awake if I'm going to take you to your place," Steve says with a chuckle.

I giggle. "I guess." I direct him to my apartment building. I would be snooping around his car because I'm a creeper like that but it was too dark.

"Is this it?" Steve asks, pointing to the building on the left.

"Yes, that's it. You can just park in one of the spaces."

Steve does so and I slump down in my seat. Oh, Selene, why do you do these things, especially in front of our new coworkers? At least Jay and Grant weren't there. We would have gotten fired on the spot. I just hope the TAPS witnesses keep it under wraps.

"None of us are going to say anything, you know," Steve says, his voice cracking.

I turn my head to look at him. "How do you know?"

He looks at me. "Because all of us have gotten sloshed and fallen in a bar before. Trust me; no one is going to say anything to Jay and Grant."

I sit up and do something I never thought I would have the balls to do. I lean over toward Steve and kiss his cheek. When I pull away a few inches, our eyes meet and our lips press together. I put my hand on his cheek as our mouths open. He tastes likes beer, and I imagine I do too. Steve puts his hand on my shoulder but then slides it down to my hands and down to my hip.

The moment finally catches up with me and I immediately pull away, putting my hands to my forehead. "Oh my God, I am so sorry."

There is a look of panic on Steve's face. "No, I'm sorry! I went to too far!"

"No… no, you didn't. I was the one out of line. I'm sorry. I just… I need to go." I grab my purse and open the car door, sprinting to my apartment building.


	4. Chapter 4: Selene's POV

I groan as I feel someone nudging me to rise from my deep, deep slumber. "Go away, Raven," I mutter into my pillow.

"C'mon, Selene, you've got to get up. Jay just called—we have an investigation," a familiar voice says, still shaking me awake.

My eyes burst open and my blood runs cold when I realize who is in my apartment. I turn over to find Tango standing over me. "What?!" I exclaim. "What are you doing here?" I then notice I don't have any pants on. "And where are my clothes?!"

"Calm down," Tango says in a hushed voice. "You took off your own dress off last night. Apparently, you never sleep in clothing." He raises an eyebrow.

"That still doesn't explain why you're here! Why, Dave?" I yell. An intense pain rattles through my skull and I put my hand up to my forehead, squeezing my eyes shut. "Shit, my head kills…"

"Here," Tango says, offering me some aspirin and a glass of water. He sits on the edge of the bed. "I took you home last night since you were obviously too drunk to drive and I figured I would relieve Raven of the duty since she was having such a nice time with Steve."

My interest perks up and I cock an eyebrow. So Raven and Steve were hanging out… I wonder if anything happened last night. "I don't remember anything from last night," I groan.

"Yeah, I wouldn't expect you to… you were pretty hammered." He twists his mouth. "But c'mon, get dressed; we have a meeting to get to." Tango stands and walks out of my bedroom.

"Wait!" I call after him.

"Yes?" Tango turns to face me.

"We didn't… ya know..?" I gesture between us and the bed.

"No… we didn't, I swear." He stares at me for a moment before saying, "Just get packed." He then leaves the bedroom.

I let out an exaggerated sigh and roll out of bed. I stand and feel something at my feet—a trash can lined with a plastic bag. I sigh once more and walk over to my dresser, grabbing a fresh pair of jeans and a basic tee. I change into my outfit and brush my teeth, dying to get the taste of old vomit out of my mouth. I then remove last night's makeup and reapply some mascara and touch up my foundation. Throwing a couple T-shirts and a pair of jeans in a duffle bag, I walk into my living room where Tango is waiting for me.

"Ready to go?" He asks, chipper as ever.

"Yeah, but um, you don't happen to know where my phone is, do you?" I bite my lip, feeling the embarrassment creep in the form of heat in my cheeks.

"I plugged it in for you in the kitchen." Tango points over to the counter.

"Oh… thanks!" I grab my mobile device and head towards the door, grabbing a sweater on the way out. "Let's go, then."

I ask Tango to drive since I am still pretty hungover and he agreed to it. I close my eyes most of the way to the headquarters since the sun makes my pounding headache pound even harder. But I cannot stop thinking about Tango's kindness toward me.

"Thank you," I mumble, putting on a large pair of black sunglasses.

"For what?" Dave asks.

"For taking care of me all night… you didn't have to do that…" I look at him and he turns to look at me.

"It was fine. You needed it and I saw the opportunity to help you. We're team members now—we've got to look out for each other." He shows me a small smile.

"I guess…" I stare out the window. "Jay and Grant are going to put my ass through the ringer though… that's even if they keep me on the team." Tears start to form in my eyes as I think about Raven and how I put her chance in jeopardy. "Oh God, I really fucked things up."

"I don't think so. I mean, no one is going to say anything to Jay and Grant. The only people from our team that were there were Raven, Steve, Dustin, you and I. I already talked to Dustin and Steve—they're not saying anything and obviously it's the same with Raven."

Tango parks across the street, putting money into the meter. I briskly walk up to the TAPS headquarters, feeling as if I stayed outside one second longer, I would be struck down by lightning—I am just that unlucky.

Without making eye contact with anyone through my sunglasses, I sit down in an empty seat next to Steve in the front row. I hold in a sigh when I spot the cameras all around. Tango comes in a few seconds after me and decides to stand in the back.

"All right, everyone, we've got a new case…" Jay begins.

I completely tune the lead investigator out when I look to my right—Steve and Raven. Steve has his hands folding loosely in his lap while Raven has her left leg crossed over her right—it looks almost as if she is trying not to be too close to him. What happened between them last night..?

"Selene," I hear someone say my name. "Selene!" Jay almost shouts.

"W-what?" I mumble, whipping my head around to face my boss.

"Are you paying attention? I'm trying to lead a meeting here," he scolds in a condescending voice.

"No, no, I'm listening!" I smile weakly and duck my head. Sheesh.

I just catch the last bit of Jay's monologue—we are going to some small town in Maine so that means we are going to all be staying in a hotel. Fun, fun. Jason ends the meeting and I immediately cast a questioning look at my younger sister.

"What?" Raven mouths.

I jerk my head toward the front office—where we could talk… alone. She receives the message and nods. We stand nonchalantly and we slowly walk to our rendezvous point.

"What the hell happened last night?" I ask in a hushed but excited voice.

"What?" Confusion spreads over her face. "I'm the one who should be asking you that question! What were you thinking?! You could have easily gotten us fired and you're lucky that the TAPS members who were there were so cool about it. Jesus Christ, Selene!"

I hold my breath for a moment, processing what Raven just said. She is right. I exhale and hang my head in shame. "Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done it. It won't happen again."

"It better not," Raven hisses. "But I do forgive you. I imagine you were just stressed out."

Just then, Steve pops his head into the room. "We're going to be leaving in about an hour, so we're going to need your help loading up the equipment."

"Sure thing," Raven says with a small, almost embarrassed smile.

Steve leaves and I take the opportunity to finally ask: "So what happened between you two last night?" I grin and raise an eyebrow.

Raven turns white and then her cheeks flush a bright pink. "Nothing…."

"No, no, I know you, Raven. Something happened. You can tell me, I won't say anything… as long as you don't say anything about my eventful night." I take a step closer to her.

"Okay, okay! We may have… kissed?" Raven's mouth twists into a contorted mess.

"What?!" I gasp. "When? Where?"

"Well… after Tango took you home, Steve drove me back to my place and… in the car."

"Who kissed who?"

"I kissed him."

"Was it just like a peck or something more?" She pauses for a moment, turning even redder. "C'mon, Raven, answer the question!"

My sister sighs. "It was something more…"

"Oh, snap! Was it good?" I ask with a humorous tone.

"Yes!" She says almost too loudly, so she quickly lowers her voice. "Yes," she whispers. "It was lovely."

"And why didn't you take him up to your apartment to finish things off?" I cross my arms.

"Don't get me wrong, I want to—I really wanted to—but I just couldn't. I got freaked out and ran away—I literally ran away. I just think, that, well… I still have a bad taste in my mouth from Charlie." She shrugs solemnly.

I close my eyes and rub my forehead. "Raven… you've got to let that go! It was the summer after you graduated from high school! You can't let Charlie hang over you the rest of your life—you're letting him win."

"I know…" she mumbles, tears forming in her eyes.

"Hey, would you stop gossiping in here and help us out with the gear?" Jay snaps, sticking his head around the corner.

"Okay, Jason, we will," Raven replies, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

Jay's demeanor immediately changes. "Hey, are you okay, Raven?'

"Yeah, I'm fine, just a little emotional. It's a big day, ya know? Our first investigation as TAPS investigators-in-training." Raven smiles as bright as she can.

"Okay… well just let me know if this gets to be too much. You can take a break at any time." He pats her shoulder and then exits the room.

"Nice cover," I say, impressed.

"Thanks," Raven laughs, continuing to wipe tears from her cheeks and eyes. "We better go help them before more people start complaining."

"Sounds like a plan," I say with a smile.


	5. Chapter 5: Raven's POV

We finish loading everyone's suitcases in the back of one of the TAPS vans and I climb into the passenger seat; Selene taking her place in the driver's position. I buckle my seat belt and wave to Steve, Tango, Grant and Jason—the team for the investigation.

"You ready for this?" Selene asks, adjusting her rearview mirror.

"Ready as I'll ever be," I sigh.

Selene starts the van and we head out on our long, five-hour trip up to Maine. I relax in my seat, feeling at ease that it is just my sister and me in the car. Jason and Grant only wanted six people on this investigation since it is a residence, so he brought along the "key" members… and my sister and me.

"I just don't see what you're so afraid of," Selene says out of the blue.

My head whips to look at her. "What?" I ask, puzzled.

"About Steve… what are you so afraid of? I mean, Charlie was years ago and you haven't had a real relationship since. What's stopping you?" She glances at me, a curious expression on her face.

"I really don't want to talk about this right now…" I groan, slouching in my seat and putting my feet up on the dashboard.

"Well then when _are_ you going to talk about it?" There is frustration laced in her tone.

I let out a sigh of contempt. "Okay, fine." I sit up a little bit and run my fingers through my thick curls. "I'm just afraid… that I'll get hurt again. I mean, Charlie broke my heart into a million pieces. I evidently wasn't enough for him and I feel like I'll never be enough."

Selene is quiet for a moment, pondering my confession. "Do you feel this way about Steve in particular or every guy?"

I look out the window, embarrassed to say it. "…Every guy…"

"Wow, Raven, I had no idea that you were this upset by it. But listen, not all guys are dicks like Charlie—there _are _some good ones out there… and I think Steve is one of those guys. I think you should give him a chance—well, that if he wants to." My older sister half-smiles at me.

I exhale through my nose. "I guess…"

Selene's loud, vibrating phone interrupts the moment. She picks it up and checks the message, still keeping an eye on the road. She sighs heavily and puts it down.

"What?" I ask. "Who is it?"

"No one…" She takes a long pause before truly answering. "It's… Alex."

"_What_?" I exclaim. "How long has he been texting you?"

"He found out I moved to Rhode Island and he's been texting me nonstop about wanting to see me." Selene shakes her head.

"Can't you block him or something?"

"It's five dollars a month to block someone on your cell phone—plus, that would just piss him off even more. I just hope he doesn't find me."

"Well, you're on TV now. I think it's going to be easier than you think." Selene looks at me flatly. "I'm just saying!"

"Let's just stop talking about this…" Selene says, turning on the radio.

The rest of the ride to Maine is pretty quiet; various chit-chat here and there. I avoid at all costs talking on the walkie-talkie as conversation flows in between TAPS vehicles. I feel like the more I talk to the members of TAPS, the more likely they are going to see through me and realize that I kissed Steve—which is completely silly and something that desperately needs to be fixed.

After we check in at the hotel and drop off our suitcases, we head over to this supposedly haunted residence.

"We're here," Selene announces, parking in front of a large, older-looking home.

Selene and I pile out of the van and walk over by Tango, while Grant, Jason and Steve go into the house for the tour.

"Oh, man, I hate those long car rides," Dave groans as he stretches his legs. "But that definitely wasn't the worse one. Get used to it, ladies."

"I don't mind long car rides," I tell him with a smile.

We make small talk as we wait for the other half of our team to come back outside to help set up for the investigation. But when Steve comes out of that giant house, smiling at me, my heart skips a beat.

"All right, gang, let's set up; groups tonight are Selene and Tango, Raven and Steve and then Grant and I. Let's go!"

I suck in a quick breath when I hear that I am going to be paired up with Steve. Part of me is overjoyed and the other part is frightened out of its wits. But I continue to unload the vans and put the cameras and cords in their proper places.

Steve gets the camera angles approved by Jason and then we go dark. Steve offers for the two of us to take the first watch at the HQ van. No cameras will be on us so this ought to be interesting.

"Have fun," Selene says with a smug smile, waving as she and Tango follow Grant and Jason into the house.

Steve climbs into the back of the van and I am right behind him. I sit down on an extremely uncomfortable stool and stare at one of the two screens, feeling the awkwardness bounce off the metallic walls of the vehicle.

"So," Steve begins. "How was your ride up?"

"Good, good," I say almost too quickly. "Yours?"

"It was all right."

More awkward silence continues as I watch Jason and Grant take a seat in the living room to begin an EVP session. I finally cannot take it anymore and I break the ice.

"Listen, uh, Steve…"

"Yes?" He glances toward me.

"I'm, uh, really sorry about kissing you the other night. That was really inappropriate." I look down in embarrassment and shame.

"What's there to be sorry for?"

I look up at him with large eyes. "You mean… you…"

Steve smirks. "Listen, I had a really nice time with you that night—you're really cool. And what guy wouldn't mind a cute girl kissing him like that?" I feel my face grow hot. "What? Was it something I said?"

"No… well, yes. I just… haven't gotten a compliment from a guy like that in a long time." I tuck some hair behind my ear.

"A girl like you? That's shocking!" He smiles.

"Stop it; you're going to make me blush." I push his arm.

"Uh, you're already blushing," he points out.

I giggle in the most embarrassing way. "Wow…" I bite my lip and roll my eyes at myself.

There is a quiet moment between us; staring at each other, the smiles slowly melt off our faces. To my utter shock, Steve leans forward and places his lips on mine. We kiss a few times and then my mouth opens, inviting his to follow suit, and he does. Our tongues softly play back and forth, while Steve puts his right hand on my cheek, brushing the hair out of my face. A feeling of overwhelming joy erupts from inside me as I put both hands on Steve's neck.

_"__Steve, Raven, time to switch places,"_ Jays says over the walkie-talkie.

Steve breaks the kiss and grabs the walkie. "Copy that," he says into it, not taking his eyes off of me. He then sets it down. "We better go." I sigh. "Hey…" Steve pinches my chin in between his thumb and index finger and his kisses me once more. "Don't worry, we can finish this later," he breathes.

"Oh, all right," I giggle.

I jump out of the van with Steve behind me, my heart still fluttering. The two of us pass Tango and Selene on the way into the house. I smirk and cock an eyebrow at my sister, moving my gaze between her and Steve. Selene's jaw almost drops but she catches it.

Leaving her in wonderment, Steve and I climb the stairs to the master bedroom to continue our investigation. The sexual tension is almost unbearable as Steve lies on the bed and I sit in a chair across the room. I honestly just wanted to jump on top of him. It has been so long for me. We ask a few questions, waiting for some kind of response from the possible spirits in the room, but nothing comes.

_"__All right, guys, let's wrap it up,"_ Jay says through the walkie-talkie after a few more hours of sitting in almost utter silence.

I bolt up from my seat and go to turn on the light. Steve grins at me and I smile back shyly as I go for the camera across the room. I notice a few crew members look at each other strangely at the interaction between Steve and I. Great, I'm on the show for five minutes and rumors are already going to spread.

I load the last case of cameras into the back of one of the vans and wave goodbye to the guys. I climb into the passenger seat and lean against my seatbelt, closing my eyes. Selene starts the car and we head off for the hotel.

"So what happened tonight?" Selene asks suspiciously.

"I'll tell you when we get back to the hotel," I say sleepily.


End file.
